Grey Soaring
by DarkAlphaWolf01
Summary: Whoever knew that myths and legends could become reality? When Lion-O is attacked by a mysterious bear-like dog, suspicions rise at his abnormal behaviour. Can the Thundercats discover the ancient secrets of the lycanthrope, and ultimately, save Lion-O's life? My first fanfiction Rated M for later chapters. 1st person POV. BLOOD and GORE WARNING! 80's series
1. Prologue

**Prologue- Night stalkers**

The howls of a wild beast echo throughout the taiga forest of the planet that I call home. I listen carefully and I can hear the creature panting and growling as it pursues me through the trees. My blood red mane whips around my face as I run. The muscles in my arms, legs and abdomen are sore from running and falling over in the darkness. My fur is sticky with blood. I'm sure it's my own. I think that it happened when I fell the first time. I tripped over a fallen tree branch and it caught my waist, tearing my groin open before getting lodged in my flesh. Every time I move whilst running, it digs further into me. I have to rest. I stop and lean backwards whilst I pull the fragment of wood from my abdomen. I can clearly see that it is red with blood. Suddenly, I tense. I can smell the creature that is chasing me. It must really hate cats to relentlessly pursue me. I flatten myself against a tree as I hear the creature approaching. I peer round the tree, and I see it.

Its fur glows silver in the light of the full moon. It lifts its head as it catches my scent. Heart pounding in my chest, I run on. It barks, and then charges at me again. I can feel its hot breath on my back. I turn my head to look at it. It's a wolf. The creature's eyes glow red like hot coals. It looks at me then leaps. I duck underneath it and run on, panting heavily. It's claws rake across my back, ripping my shirt and tearing into my flesh. I grunt as blood begins to dribble down my back. The scent of blood sends the wolf into a frenzy. The wild animal runs round again then gets into position to attack me. It leaps at me again, but I jump over it then grab an overhanging branch. I hoist myself up, but the wolf stands up on its hind legs and begins to jump up at me, snapping at my ankles. The branch is slippery with moss so I dig my claws into the bark in attempt to not slip. The demonic creature growls in frustration as it looks at me, then walks off, around the tree.

"Lion-O!" I hear a familiar voice shout. I look up and see Wilykat landing his spaceboard a few 100 yards away from me. I swing my legs down to get back onto the ground. Almost instantly, the wolf jumps from the shadows then sinks its fangs into my leg, tearing muscle and rupturing arteries. I roar in agony then let go of the branch. As soon as my feet touch the ground, I try to run but the wolf is on top of me within moments. I struggle against the horrific creature, but it holds me down. My leg hurts like hell. I'm sure that the flesh is torn down to the bone. Everything seems to slow down as the wolf bites into my shoulder. I can feel the blood streaming down my shoulder as my vision slowly blurs. The blackness is slowly creeping in to the corners of my vision, then everything goes black.

...BORDER...

I watch as the wolf mauls Lion-O. He's bleeding badly, I can tell. I run towards them and start throwing rocks at the wolf. It growls, then retreats. I run over to Lion-O and look at his injuries. They're bad. He's rapidly losing blood. I press my hands over his wound on his leg, which is oozing the warm liquid at a worrying rate. He's barely even conscious. I take my lariat out of my pocket then tie it around Lion-O's right thigh as an improvised tourniquet. Without hesitating, I rip my shirt off then press it onto Lion-O's leg to staunch the blood loss. That's when I spot the wound on his abdomen. The smell is making me feel sick. It's so overpowering.

I run over to my spaceboard and grab the communicator. "Cat's lair! Come in! Tygra? Pumyra? Do you hear me?" I half ask, half shout into the microphone as I drag Lion-O onto the back of my spaceboard then get on it myself. "Cat's lair. Reading you loud and clear, Wilykat," I hear Tygra say "What's the problem?" I look back at Lion-O as I say "You need to get the infirmary ready. I've found Lion-O, but he's in a very bad way. He's been mauled by a wolf." I kick off of the ground and the spaceboard rises into the air. I've got to get back as quickly as I can. I can't confirm that the wolf didn't have rabies. It was hard to tell in the dark. I stay low to the ground as not to get too high. Lion-O is just slung over the back of the board. The forest flies by and I begin to see the skyline of New Thundera appearing on the horizon. I look back at Lion-O. He's extremely pale. How much blood has he lost? Cat's lair slowly comes into view. I look behind me again to make sure that Lion-O is still breathing. He is, so I land in the courtyard. As soon as the board touches the ground, I get off then grab Lion-O under his shoulders and drag him towards the steps. He's so heavy. "Lion-O, hold on. We're home." I grunt as I proceed up the steps. The main door opens so I drag my unconscious lord into the main hall, leaving streaks of scarlet blood on the floor. "For Jaga's sake, Wilykat! I've JUST mopped up in…" I hear Snarf shout angrily as he walks in, but he stops mid-sentence as he spots me dragging Lion-O along then screams "LION-O!" His scream must have alerted the other Thundercats because Pumyra, Tygra, Panthro and Cheetara come running in, then also stop dead at the sight of our badly wounded leader. "FUCKING HELL! I didn't know that he'd be this bad!" Pumyra cries as she runs towards us. She steadies her shaking hands just enough to check Lion-O's pulse. "His pulse is weak. He's going into shock. We need to operate NOW if we're to have a chance of saving him!" she says. "You can save him, can't you?" I ask nervously. The reply is simple. "I hope so, but I can't promise anything. He's badly wounded."


	2. Running in the Curse

Chapter 1- Running in the Curse

"He's lucky to be alive. By all rights, he should be dead."

"How bad were his injuries?"

"Worse than we'd originally expected. He died on the table twice, and at one point, we thought we'd lost him completely. He's stable at the moment, but it's going to be an uphill battle."

"At least he's still alive."

I open my eyes. The voices are muffled and distorted. All that I can see is a blinding white light. My leg and shoulder are stinging, but it doesn't bother me...much. "Lion-O? Lion-O? Cheetara! Pumyra! He's awake!" I hear a familiar voice call. I recognise the voice as Snarfer's. My eyes focus properly and I see that I'm in the infirmary. I'm alive. Cheetara and Pumyra, who is holding a folder that look like they could be my medical documents, are standing at the end of my bed. "Lio," Cheetara says as she walks up to my side before taking my hand in her ones "You're awake...Great Jaga, I've been so worried! We all have. You've had us all on edge. You've been drifting in and out of consciousness for three weeks..." Her voice fades away as tears start to trickle down her cheeks, but she gently strokes my hand as if she were petting a dog. I try to sit up, but I haven't the strength to. I feel as weak as a kitten. "Don't try to move, Lion-O. You lost a lot of blood. You're still recovering," Pumyra says as she walks towards me. She stops beside Cheetara and continues as if I'm not even around "He should be back to his normal self in a few days, but I can't guarantee that his wound will heal quickly. Lion-O, I can only advise that you stay off of your feet for a while." She pulls the bed sheets down and takes a clean bandage and jar from her pocket. She unravels the bandages around my leg, and I see the stitches that snake down my right shin and across my abdomen and shoulder. "That wolf really did some damage..." I say in a small voice, thoroughly nauseated by how bad the wound looks, even though it's stitched up. Pumyra dips her fingers into the jar and rubs the contents onto the stitches before wrapping the clean bandages around the wounds as she says "If Wilykat hadn't have found you, you'd have bled to death." I just lie back, not paying any attention to anything. I can't concentrate. I'm so confused. "W...what happened? How did I get here? I was in the forest, being attacked by that wolf, and then I wake up here." I say in a weak voice. Cheetara sighs before sitting on my bed. "Don't you remember?" she asks as she looks into my eyes. "You seriously expect me to? Jeez! I've been unconscious since then!" I reply in a humorous tone, in attempt to get her to laugh, but she doesn't. Instead, she says "You left early in the evening. You said that you needed to get some fresh air and cool down because you and Tygra got into an argument. You left, but you never came back. We waited for hours; waiting for you to walk through the door, but you didn't. As night fell, we began to worry, especially Snarf. We went out looking for you, but couldn't find you. Wilykat stayed out, and he found you but you were mauled by a wolf. He flew you back on his spaceboard, but you were unconscious and close to death from blood loss. Pumyra and Tygra operated on you immediately or you would have died. Y...you did die...during the operation...twice..." Her voice wavers and she buries her face in her hands. I can tell that she's sobbing. I sit up before putting my hands on her shoulders. "Hey, it's okay. I'm still alive."

She looks at me as if I just called her the rudest name under the sun. "I...I was just so...so worried. I thought...thought that you were going to...to die." She whispers. "But I didn't. Pumyra and Tygra saved me." My voice wavers slightly as I see the tears streaming down her cheeks. "C'mere you!" I say before pulling her towards me. She doesn't reply as I hug her; she's as silent as the forest in the summer sun. I hear voices outside before the door opens and the Thunderkittens walk in. "Lion-O, you're alive!" Wilykat says as he and his sister approach my bed. Before he can do anything, I roughly grab Wilykat and pull him into a friendly hug. "And it's all thanks to you. If you'd have come home with the others, then I'd be dead. I kind of owe you my life." I say as I let him go. He blushes crimson as he replies "Well, I...err...was only doing what every Thundercat should do when it comes to helping others. It's nothing, honest!" He resumes his place next to Wilykit before they are escorted out of the infirmary by Snarf. "Ohh, Snarf," I hear Wilykat whine from in the corridor "Do we have to go back to bed? We're nearly 13!" I hear Snarf respond, and he actually sounds slightly angry. You'd usually have to really piss him off pretty badly before he raises his voice even slightly. "Lion-O needs his rest and I should expect that you being as loud as you are must be greatly annoying him!" Wilykit joins in the act, but their voices get quieter once Panthro goes out into the corridor. "OK! WE'RE GOING!" Wilykat yelps and I hear them running off. "Speaking of which," Pumyra says as she looks at the clock on the wall "We'd better leave you to get some sleep. You're going to need loads of rest." She walks out with the others, switching the light off after her.

The infirmary seems so dark in the muted light. I lie back against the pillows before closing my eyes. How ether, I don't feel tired whatsoever. I fidget for ages, but I can't get comfortable; the muscles in my arms and legs are stinging. I twist and turn so violently that I get the bed sheets wound around me. Frustrated, I growl before rolling onto my side. "_That's better", _I think to myself "_That's more comfortable. It feels natural." _I curl up into a ball with my knees on my chest. It's strange. I've never felt comfortable in this position before. I yawn before fatigue starts to slowly overwhelm me...

"_**Lion-O! Lion-O!"**_

I hear someone calling my name, but I don't recognise the voice. It's not familiar to me. I lazily open my eyes, lift my head and look around, but I see no-one. Just as I'm about to close my eyes, I see a dark figure standing by the doorway. I feel the growl rising from deep in my throat as the fur down my back and across my shoulders stands on end. "Who are you? Show yourself!" I snarl fiercely, trying to be as threatening as possible. The person steps into the light. It's a human. A male human. A strange breeze blows through the room as he steps forward, rustling the feathers on the headdress that he wears. His clothing seems to be made of some sort of animal pelt.

"_**I have come to warn you, Lion-O."**_

The human walks towards me, but he doesn't do anything else. "How do you know my name?" I ask, nervous yet inquisitive at the same time. The human laughs, but the noise sounds more lupine than anything else.

"_**I know EVERYTHING about you, Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats."**_

I watch the man nervously as he approaches me. He knows who I am, but how?

"_**I know how you grew up on this planet before it blew up. You were forced to evacuate when you were a mere cub of 12 years old. You travelled to Third Earth, where you crashed, and you grew up in suspension. For years, you have battled against the evil Mumm-ra, the Mutants of Plun-darr and the Lunataks of the Moons of Plun-darr. You eventually defeated them, before coming here to restart your home civilization. You re-built the city within a year, with the help of the Snarves. And, a week before your 23**__**rd**__** birthday, you were bitten by a wolf. As it just so happens, I'm that wolf. I bit you; I chased you through the forest,"**_

To my pure horror, he starts to transform before my very eyes. "WHAT THE..." I cry, but I can't say anything else as I'm overwhelmed with fear. The lupine monster prowls towards me, bearing its vicious fangs, which are gleaming with saliva.

"_**You see? This is what I truly am, not a human. You MUST keep this a secret. My humanity was slowly stripped from me, as your humanity will be with what you have become..."**_

Confusion sweeps over me as I come to. My head is pounding and my throat is dry, as if I have got a hangover. My fur is wet and sticky with sweat. I've never felt this way before; wild, free, and yet, so hungry. I want meat. That's all that I want. Meat. My senses are intensified; I can hear the owls in the forest, which is a good 20 minute walk from the lair; I can smell every scent. Below the smell of antiseptic is the pungent stench of blood and cleaning chemicals mixed with the scents of the other Thundercats.

I swing my legs out of bed before trying to get up, but my movement is restricted by the drip which is attached to the back of my right hand. I try to gently ease the needle out, but it won't move. Without thinking, I pull the needle out with one swift tug, bringing a steady trickle of blood with it. I stand up and start to walk towards the door, but not in a straight line. My heartbeat pounds in my ears and I can hear distant footsteps in the corridor. The door opens and I see Cheetara, just seconds before my strength falters and I fall into her arms. "Pumyra told you to stay in your bed, Lion-O. You haven't yet got the strength to be walking about," She says in a stern voice, but she doesn't sound angry "If she knew that you that you were out of bed, she'd have your hide."

I'm just about to reply, but before I can, she pulls me towards her before pressing her lips against mine. I'm so shocked that I can't say anything. "Ok. You'd better get back into bed before Pumyra comes in; she'll be pissed off with you." Cheetara says as she helps me walk over to my bed. Every step is agonizing. It feels as if I'm treading on hot coals. Luckily, Pumyra walks in only seconds after I pull the covers up, making it look as if I haven't even moved. "Good morning, Lion-O," Pumyra says, obviously in a good mood having got a full night's sleep as she doesn't have to worry about me so much anymore "How are you feeling today?" I yawn before replying "I feel a lot better than I did yesterday; I felt awful." She sighs as she takes some hypodermic syringes and a phial of light pink fluid from a cupboard before walking towards me. I gulp nervously as she pops the cap off of the first needle then fills it with the liquid. "What are you doing?" I ask as she turns to face me. "This might hurt a little; I need you to roll onto your front. I've got some injections that I have to give you, but you're not going to like where they're going."

I instantly know where she means. "You're not...you're not injecting me in my..." I stutter, before Pumyra says "I don't want to have to call in Panthro and Tygra to restrain you so that I can give you the injections, because I will if I have to. Now stop whinging like a cub and roll over!" Defeated, I roll over onto my front. "Just try and relax," Pumyra says as she places a hand on my back "Once I've finished, you can go. Ok, breathe in." I breathe in but can't stop the roar of pain as she pushes the needle into the lowest point of my back then pushes the plunger down. Unluckily, she does it four more times. By the time she's finished, my back is nearly numb from the injections. "Why did you have to give me so many?" I ask as I rub my back. "It was a mixture of antibiotics and antihistamines to help with your injuries." Pumyra explains as she takes a little tub out of her pocket.

She unravels the bandage on my leg before unscrewing the lid of the tub and rubbing some of the contents onto the bite, which has nearly healed, before wrapping a clean bandage around my leg. Then, she helps me up. "We'd better go to the council chamber; everyone's waiting." She says as we start to make our way to the door. I can't help but limp slightly as I put weight on my injured leg. The second we enter the council chamber, everybody starts talking in an excited rush. "Well, look who's back!" I hear Bengali say as I sit in my seat "It's nice to have you back with us, Lion-O. You really gave us a fright."

"Anything cropped up whilst I've been out? Has the wolf been spotted again?" I ask, and then I observe the varied reactions that my friends give me. "Errm...no. The wolf hasn't been seen since you were attacked." Lynx-O says as his ears twitch. The news makes some of my anxiety disappear, but I still feel uneasy. "Good, but we still need to find it. If anyone else does before us, tell them that they mustn't get too close to it. We can't risk another attack." I say as I look out of the window; the sun is setting over the city, casting a fiery glow over the buildings. Panthro nods before saying "That's a very wise idea." I can't tell them the truth. The only reason why I said it was because I can't risk any other Thunderians being bitten and infected by the...werewolf...that bit me.

We finish our meeting then go off and resume our everyday tasks, howether, I stand on the balcony of my sleeping chamber, lost in thought. "Why, Jhrzaber? Why me?" I say as I look up at the darkening sky "Why will my humanity be stripped from me? Why do I need to keep it a secret?" A hand on my shoulder makes me jump. I turn around and see Cheetara standing behind me. Inquisitively, she asks "Keep what a secret?" Annoyed, I snap "What did I tell you about eavesdropping on me? It irritates me when you do it!" Apprehensive, Cheetara steps back and defensively replies "I was only asking! What secret?" I can feel the anger surging through my body like never before. Cheetara should know better than to piss me off. I growl viciously before shouting "IT DOESN'T MATTER!" and storming off.

...BORDER...

I watch Lion-O as he storms off in a temper. What the hell is wrong with him? He doesn't usually lose his temper so quickly. His attitude seems to have changed drastically since he was mauled. I run after him, but he takes no notice of me. I cough to get his attention, but even then, he completely ignores me and continues to walk on, saying "Wild horses wouldn't drag it out of me!" Jokingly, I laugh and say "Why? Are you a werewolf or something?" Lion-O freezes on the spot. He turns around, flushing red with rage, and roars "Leave me alone! I'm sick to death of your remarks! Piss off and leave me be!" Outraged, I snarl "You should really watch how you speak to others, Lion-O! You're as prickly as a hedgehog at times! I was only joking!"

He seems to calm down slightly, but his voice is still gruff as he speaks. "Alright! Sorry. But, I didn't see it as a joke. It really hurt my feelings." I put my right arm around his shoulders and we walk down the corridor. "HEY! CHEETARA! IS EVERYTHING OK?" I hear Pumyra shout as she comes running up towards us, followed by Tygra and Panthro. "We heard you yelling at each other from outside." I sigh before saying "Yeah. Everything is ok. Lion-O just got a little bit agitated, that's all." Panthro looks at us before saying "You know, there was a legend back on Old Thundera, saying that a male lion's behaviour is affected by the phases of the moon. After all, it is a full moon tonight."


	3. Night of the Werewolf

Chapter 2- Night of the Werewolf

_**Author's Notes: This chapter is not for the squeamish (I recommend that you skip if you are). It contains gruesome descriptions of murder and a bloody werewolf transformation. And, this is my first fanfic, so I'm sorry if it turns out rubbish.**_

I can't help but shift uncomfortably in my seat as Pumyra says "Something is wrong with you, Lion-O. Your behaviour is strange, and you've not been yourself since you were bitten by that wolf." I sigh then say "It's a mystery, even to me." I recline in my seat with my arms behind my head, and then close my eyes. Pumyra is saying something, but I'm not paying attention to her. "Lion-O! Are you even listening to me?" she asks angrily. "Yeah, I'm still listening." I lie as I open my eyes again then look at the other Thundercats. "Lion-O," Cheetara says as my gaze catches hers "We're really worried about you." I sigh again then reply "I can understand why because eve..." but, before I can finish my sentence, I see the moon out of the corner of my eyes; the full moon. Almost instantly, what feels like a cold jolt of electricity shoots down my spine, making me yelp in pain. "Lion-O! Are you ok?" Cheetara asks nervously. I groan then say "Yeah. Just... just a bit of...cramp." I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand then look at the blood that laces my fur and the palm of my right hand. I look up at the Thundercats again, then get out of my seat and run out of the door as quickly as I can. I don't stop until I'm on the drawbridge. I gag as blood slowly begins to fill my throat. A voice in my head screams "Keep going, Lion-O! Get to the forest!" I look back up at the moon; clouds slowly roll across the luminous orb, giving me more time. I begin to run as fast as I can, adrenaline pumping into my veins as I reach the thick tree line. I can't stop yet. I start to run on all fours, knowing that I'm faster that way. I eventually reach a clearing where I stop to catch my breath.

I look up at the sky again as the clouds slowly uncover the milky white full moon. I hear my heart pumping in my ears as my breathing deepens and gets faster...

...That's when the pain starts.

An agonizing burning sensation spreads from my chest and across my torso. The pain brings me to my knees. Every limb on my body is aching. I feel as if I'm being doused in boiling tar. I arch my back to ease the pain, but it makes it even worse. I scream in agony as my spine snaps in various places then writhe in pain as the vertebra reform. "What the fu..." I scream, before a sharp throbbing pain tears through my mouth, making me scream again. I gingerly touch my throbbing gums with my shaking fingers. One by one, my short canines lengthen as blood streams from my gums, to dangerous bone crunching fangs and my blunt molars sharpen. I spit a mouthful of blood into the grass then get up onto my knees and, just when I think the worst is over, my ribs begin to creak and I'm beginning to find it increasingly difficult to breathe. I scream again as my ribs break, and then breathe deeply as my lungs expand freely and my ribs reform around my lungs. My pulse becomes rapid as my heart swells to twice its natural size. My stomach twists so violently that I can't help but vomit up what I had for dinner. I start to writhe and scream in agony again as all of my internal organs grow to twice their natural size. I breathe heavily and think to myself "This is crazy. It's got to be a dream."

A sudden pain at the base of my spine makes me twist uncomfortably. I scream as my tailbone feels as if it is breaking. Tears stream down my cheeks as the pain intensifies to an unbearable level. I feel something brush over my legs. I look around and see a long tail poking out from under my shirt. I should have listened to that ancestral wolf spirit. He warned me about this. My hands are stinging and the tips of my fingers are numb. I look at my hands and watch as my claws slowly grow longer, thicker and darken to black as blood dribbles from the tips of my fingers. I scream as pain shoots down my legs and into my feet. I can hear my boots shredding. I look and watch as the material rips open, showing my bare feet, which now resemble wolf's paws. I look at my...paws...in disbelief. There's no way that this can actually be happening to me. This must be a nightmare. I groan as I feel the cartilage in my knuckles hardening as my hands begin to change like my feet...into paws.

I try to get up, but I can't move my arms or my legs. I feel like crying as I hear the bones in my arms and legs creaking. I scream as the bones snap in multiple places like my spine did. The bones reform and I look down at my legs, which are now longer. My arms are longer too. I scream as my shoulder blades begin to fuse to the sides of my ribcage. I look at my hands again as my palms stretch then the cartilage hardens completely, locking my fingers in place. The same thing happens to my feet. The cartilage hardens, leaving my feet in the position that they would be in if I was walking with my heels off the floor. I scream in pain as my feet slowly lengthen, then rough padding begins to form on the balls of my feet and my toes. The pads on my palms thicken as some begin to form on the bottom of my fingers. A sudden pain tears through my face. I close my eyes and try to relax, but I can't. I scream in agony as much as I can as my jaw dislocates. I open my eyes as I feel like my jaws are throbbing. My nose slowly changes shape and begins to blacken. I can smell everything. I groan and watch as my nose and mouth slowly lengthen into a muzzle, then my jawbone locks into place and fuses. I run my tongue over my teeth. My canines are three times as long as usual.

Pain shoots down my back before I feel a familiar ache. No! Not again! I arch my back again and scream in agony as much as I can as my spine snaps again in many places and I roar as the vertebra reform again, in a position that will make it easy for me to walk on all fours. I scream as my throat feels as if it is being slowly torn out. My vocal chords and gullet are tearing then reforming into a completely different shape. My screams slowly melt into harsh, lupine howls. My ears pop and I realize that I can hear a lot better. I nervously touch my ears, and find that they are pointed like a wolf's, but they're on top of my head.

I feel as if my body is being constricted by a giant serpent. My belt feels like it's getting tighter. I look down and see that my abdominal muscles are somehow getting bigger. My belt feels extremely tight and begins to dig into my skin. I claw at my belt, the material straining at the seams as my muscles press against it. The material tears into shreds, and falls to the floor with a clatter as the insignia hits a rock. My chest feels like it is tightening. I look down and see that my shirt is starting to rip as my chest muscles grow bigger. Every single muscle in my body seems to be getting bigger. My shirt rips down the back and front then falls to the floor as a mess of shredded light and dark blue material, revealing my bare chest and back. Then, my skin starts to itch. I look at my arms and legs and watch in horror as my short, caramel coloured fur slowly darkens to a dark shade of chestnut brown, then even darker to a near jet black colour. I can feel a strong sensation of tingling down the back of my neck and over my shoulders. I realize that my mane is getting longer. I look over my right shoulder and see that it has grown down the back of my neck and over my shoulders at a medium length. Then, I see that it is slowly changing colour. My once blood red mane is darkening to jet black. My eyesight is slowly beginning to improve. The bleak darkness of the night slowly melts to a lurid brightness. I can clearly see every tree and the deer that stands still in the distance having caught my scent. The transformation has stopped. The full moon seems to be calling to me. I get onto my...paws then raise my head into the air and howl long and loudly. Then, I start to run into the dense trees. The forest trees fly by as I run through the thick undergrowth in my new body. The powerful muscles in my chest and abdomen are allowing me to go at twice my normal speed. I slow to a stop as I reach the edge of the trees. I sniff the air and I catch the overpowering scent of a male Amur leopard. I see him walking to the balcony of his house, his sheep dog close at his heels. I growl, and then slowly stalk towards him in the shadows.

His dog tenses, perks its ears up, the growls. "What is it, boy? Is something there?" The dog growls harder and louder. The leopard has to grab the dog's collar then says "No, boy. Stay!" The dog starts to bark and pulls against the leopard's grip. I growl, just enough to scare the Thunderian. "Who...who's there? Show yourself!" he shouts as he reaches down and grabs a shotgun from the porch. I growl again and start to stalk towards him. The dog barks then runs towards me. I roar then take a swipe at the canine with my massive, viciously clawed paws. The dog screams as my claws pierce its chest then is sent flying. It hits a tree then slides down it. I pounce onto the creature, then swipe at its throat. The creature lies still as its life fluid spurts from its torn, shredded neck. The leopard stumbles backwards as I slowly walk towards him. He loads the shotgun then fires it in my direction. The bullet misses me, so the leopard runs towards me. I easily skirt around him and leap into the long, thick grass. I watch as he whirls around and looks in all directions. "Where are you, you big dog?" he mutters beneath his breath. He looks in the grass, his back to me. I launch from the grass with a roar and land on his back. I dig my claws into the soft, sweet smelling flesh of his back. He grunts and groans into the mud as I sink my canines deep into the nape of his neck. The taste of his blood is like honey on my tongue. I dig my fangs deeper into his flesh, and hear a satisfying crunch as his spine snaps. He screams, and then lies still as blood begins to rapidly gush into my mouth. I've ruptured his carotid arteries. He's bleeding to death. I eagerly swallow the blood that fills my mouth. I'm so hungry. I have a taste for flesh. I look down then sink my claws deep into the Amur leopard's abdomen and drag my paw across, tearing his skin open, leaving a gaping gash across his abdomen, revealing his internal organs. I sink my muzzle into the gash, and start to tear chunks of flesh from his abdomen, which I ravenously swallow whole. I latch my jaws between his ribs, before pulling until the bones come away, and I begin to gnaw on them, and swallow the large fragments before ripping his kidneys and liver out. I carry the organs from the carcass, and then continue to feast on the feline flesh. I know that I'm a cannibal because I'm eating one of my own people, but I'm starving hungry. But, what would the Thundercats say if they found out? I...I'm a murderer. But, I can't control myself. My legs move of their own accord. I lick my claws before starting to walk off into the forest again, leaving the gruesome scene behind me. How ether, I can hear another Thunderian approaching. Another leopard? "Lepon! Lepon? Is that you?" It's a male snow leopard. Only seconds later, a chilling scream echoes throughout the air. "LEPON! WHAT THE HELL!" I can see the silhouette of the snow leopard. He must have a flashlight on him because he shines a light in my direction, just before he shouts "WHAT ON NEW THUNDERA IS THAT? I've gotta tell Lord Lion-O!" Then, he runs into the house. Ha! An easy target! Just right for the picking! I slowly make my way towards the porch. The ancient floorboards creak under my sheer weight. The light flickers on the porch, illuminating my body as the curtains open slightly. Only, the leopard is armed now; he clutches a shotgun, which he loads then cocks before aiming it at my head. Heart pounding in my chest, I turn and run; the bullet flies past me as the noise reverberates in the clearing. Another flies past, and another. He keeps missing me.

But, something else hits me in the back of my left leg. I slow down and look; a dart is protruding from the back of my left leg. A tranquilizer dart. Another dart hits me in the back. They're already starting to have an effect on me. The fatigue is gradually draining my strength. Fatigue washes over me and I collapse to the ground, unable to move. "We got him, now we have to move him, yesss?" I hear a familiar reptilian voice hiss. It's Slithe. I see him as he and Jackalman come into my vision. "We'd better get moving, Mumm-ra! If the tranquilizer wears off soon, he'll kill us!" he says as he pokes me with a stick. "Yes, we will move him, but closer to Cat's Lair. That way, they will find him in the morning." The ancient devil priest says as he roughly seizes my tail and picks me up. Everything goes black...

...BORDER...

"A wolf, you say? Are you sure that you saw it?" I ask as we watch the snow leopard. "I assure you, milady! I saw the beast with my own two eyes! The thing had torn my brother to shreds, and ate most of his body. Please, you've GOTTA believe me! I need to speak with the king!" the leopard cries in desperation. I sigh then look at Pumyra before replying "What is your name?" The anxious Thunderian replies "Louis." I lay my hands on his shoulders before saying "Lewis, Lord Lion-O isn't taking any audiences today; he's busy. I can arrange a private meeting for you for when he's not busy." Louis nods and says "Thank you, milady. But, please, you have to see it for yourself!"

"Panthro, fire up the Thundertank! We're going to help." I say then I guide Louis to the hangar where the tank is. "Milady," Lewis says as we get into the tank, but I cut him off by saying "Please, call me Cheetara." Louis nods as we set off, then starts giving directions to where the house is. "What did the wolf look like?" Lynx-O asks Louis. Louis shudders at the memory before replying "I...I don't know. Just like a normal wolf, I guess, but it was twice the height of a man on its hind legs, and had the...I don't know how to say it, but the thing had the eyes of a cat, but they were a deep hazel brown." The description shocks me slightly, especially considering that Lion-O disappeared during the night. Besides, werewolves and Lycanthropes are just myths and legends told by mothers to naughty cubs so that they wouldn't venture into the forests alone. The sun is starting to rise over the horizon, sending beams of light through the clouds like fingers. "Just a little to the left, and we should be there." Louis says, and as he'd said, we see the house appearing through the dense fog. "I can already sense a supernatural aura here," I say as we get out of the Thundertank. "Over here! Follow me!" Lewis says as we walk through the bushes, until we come to what strongly represents a murder scene. The mutilated, mangled body of an adult male snow leopard is laid on the path in a pool of blood. The flesh is torn apart, and blood laces everything. What's worse is that is that the leopard's internal organs are ripped apart, and most are missing from the body. "Sneeyarf, Sneeyarf! Look at the size of those paw prints! They lead into the woods! The wolf must have run off!" The paw prints are massive; I put my hand in one, only to find out that it is twice the size of my hand. "There's blood in the paw prints." I say as I study my palm, which is now red with blood. "I'd better take a sample of blood to see who the murderer is, even if it is just a wolf." Tygra says as he takes a swab out of his pocket before taking a sample of blood from the paw print. Pumyra places a white sheet over the inanimate leopard's body, before saying to Louis "Louis, whoever did this to your brother will not go unpunished by Lord Lion-O. I assure you that he will think of a suitable punishment for the murderer depending on the extent of the crime. Well, we'd better be going home. Do you need a lift?" Louis shakes his head then replies "No. I'm alright walking."

So, we get into the Thundertank with the body of the leopard wrapped up in the sheet. "We need to find Lion-O," I say as the tank speeds up "As he went missing last night, and no-one has seen him, I bet that either the Mutants, Lunataks or Mumm-ra might have kidnapped him. It could be Mumm-ra that killed the leopard, even though this is far from his range, despite the fact that he continuously keeps trying to kill Lion-O." Suddenly, the tank comes to an abrupt stop, throwing us out of our seats. "Why are we stopping?" Wilykat asks as he rubs his left elbow. "You know that Lion-O went missing and we have to find him?" Panthro asks his voice almost inaudible. "Yeah. Why?" I ask as I stand up. "Because I think we just found him." I jump out of the hatch, and see Lion-O lying in the grass, about 10 meters in front of us, covered in blood.


End file.
